Sasukec: My, oh, my. I am a terrible updater, aren't I? I've probably lost some of my readers due to my prolonged intervals of updates ^_^'''''' Ah, who am I kidding, HAVE lost readers due to the longevity of my updates. Wish it wasn't so T.T

I love you all very much!

Naruto and Sasuke made their way back to the stadium just in time to get on the buses without anyone noticing them amiss in the first place. The blonde suggested they sit apart from each other on the bus so no suspicion would be given to the other students. Not that it made much sense to Sasuke, but he decided that if it made the blonde comfortable, then he had no problem with it. Well… Hypothetically speaking, of course.

The bus ride back seemed to drag on for the Uchiha. Was he really so apprehensive to be back within arm's reach of the blonde? Sasuke stopped and thought to himself, reflecting on the past 24 hours or so. It all happened so quickly, it made his head want to whirl. So much in so little time, it seemed almost impossible. Surreal in its own way.

We jumped at the feelings so quickly… One sentence from Naruto and we're all over each other. Have we really repressed it…? Or are we just lonely? Or desperate…?

The brunette tried to keep the latter thoughts out of his head and gave it his all on focusing in on the landmarks that appeared more than seemingly possible in any city. None other than Rome, Italy, the city of love could this happen. Nu-uh, no way, no other how. Sasuke could've sworn he was in some bad love story. The kind girls swoon over and gossip about even the slightest detail.
But, even though he felt as though it all happened like it would in a written book, he couldn't help but being happy. Happy that maybe this was really all his cheesy love story. Naruto and Sasuke's cheesy love story. Their story. He suddenly didn't want it any other way. Book, cheesy, or love story regardless.

The Uchiha was brought out of his thoughts of suspicious forces at work as their hotel came into view as the tour bus turned a corner. The building really was massive and hard to miss. Not that anyone would want to in the first place.

As the bus's tires came to a protesting halt, the doors opened with nearly the same amount of creaking. Nice bus, bad hinges. The Uchiha was the first to get off the bus since he decided to sit ahead of the blonde, in the very front. Didn't want to get too distracted in the back by that yellow hair. Students began pouring out of the bus behind him, along with any other tourists happening to catch a ride on the same bus. Without stopping to listen to what Ms. Anko had to say, he stuck his hands into his pockets and made his way into the hotel lobby. It almost felt like coming home now. Even though they'd only been there three days, they've been long ones. Not to mention, eventful. A simple trip to Italy was much more than either boy could have anticipated or expected.

Sasuke continued past the evening tourists and hotel attendants alike to finally arrive at the elevators. He pushed the button, calling the elevator which automatically opened itself to him. Luckily for him, it hadn't seen any use for some time.

Once on the elevator, the machine began working its way against gravity to the desired floor. Sasuke's head was still buzzing with thoughts.

What does this mean for us? We've already taken things to a high level before… Could it happen again? Sasuke began to doubt himself.

No… Probably not yet. Last time was a complete mistake and it wasn't right. Wasn't right at all. So… What do I do? "Hello Naruto! I love your body! Wanna fuck?" Jesus, help me…

Ding!

The sound of the elevator reaching the designated floor went off and Sasuke absentmindedly stepped out of the elevator as the automatic doors opened. The Uchiha pulled out his key and inserted it into the door. He then opened the door and entered the dark… Wait. The lights were already on. Sasuke knew they turned the lights off before they left. Someone's here.

"Naruto? You already here?" The Uchiha heard himself call as he closed the door.

"Yeah," the blonde said as he was sitting on the window, "beat ya here, teme."

Sasuke let a small smile onto his face just as the blonde let a grin onto his own.

Calm down Sasuke… Just go over to him, sit, be a good boy… Be a good boy… No making a first move… Good boy… Heel... Why the hell am I talking to myself like a dog?

"You okay over there, Sasuke?"

Naruto's voice shook the Uchiha out of his slight mental breakdown.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine. Just…" The brunette made his way over to Naruto and sat down next to him on the window. "A lot on my mind."

Sasuke inconspicuously slid his left hand closer to Naruto, trying to hold back as best he could. He was allowing himself only that much. The rest needed to be up to the blonde.

"I know what you mean." Naruto replied sounding distant but his eyes locked onto Sasuke's own told another story. Was it the same look that the Uchiha felt he had looking at his new lover? Could it be Naruto wanted and held himself back just as much as the Uchiha did? He was only human.

The teens sat in a silence for few moments, their eyes never wandering away from one another, not even wavering in the slightest. Neither boy was quite sure of whether he should go first or not. Make the first move that would confirm their emotions, wants, and desires. Make it official. But, once one moved, the other was certain to follow.

All of Sasuke's restraints on himself were torn free by Sasuke from two years ago. The Sasuke that admitted to both himself and Naruto, that he was in love. In a way, the Uchiha saw much of the same in Naruto. Restrained by a woman he felt that he loved, when he knew it was a fulfillment. A temporary setback that led to the eventual passionate kiss the two teens were sharing between each other now.

Now that the first move had been made, it was freedom for either. Freedom to touch, caress, hold, say, or do. An unconditional love that couldn't be held back now. The Uchiha moved closer to Naruto, his hands running wild through the blonde's softly gelled hair and his kisses wanting more. The blonde was now leaned up against the wall, his back meeting the cool wall and his eager hands already reaching up to loosen the Uchiha's tie and unbutton his shirt. Each boy understood haste and this was a time for it. The world disappeared in their rush, both shirts soon landing on the ground.
However urgent their rush, Sasuke found time to make his way around the blonde's mouth, tracing every tooth, both sides of his cheek on the inside, and the strange but lovely tongue that fought to massage Sasuke's pleasuring tongue. Sasuke's tongue continued its plight as his hand found its way down the blonde's unveiled chest and to his clothed crotch. He found that the blonde was growing excited and could feel his member growing harder as he massaged it through his pants. A soft moan came from the blonde's throat, giving Sasuke more of a chance to explore the other teen's mouth as he pleased.

His exploration did not last long as he needed to pull away for a breath of air. He realized he'd forgotten to breathe. As the Uchiha's massaging hand began to find its way into Naruto's pants, so did Sasuke's lips to a tan neck; sucking and nibbling, threatening to leave marks. Sasuke decided that Naruto's pants were becoming a nuisance. He quickly unbuttoned the troublesome pants and tore them off before throwing them into the growing pile of clothes. The Uchiha thought his pants were going to go soon enough, so he did the job quickly.

Sasuke got on his knees after removing his own pants. He could easily see the blonde's erection easily piercing through the fabric of his boxers. It was only a second more before Naruto's erection was revealed then disappeared again, this time in Sasuke's sucking mouth. Naruto let out a sigh of pleasure, feeling Sasuke's tongue roll over and massage his head before rubbing the sides of his shaft. The massaging was almost greater than the tight pressure of the sucking the Uchiha was producing.

Sasuke's sucking and massaging were slow and only made the blonde moan for more. The brunette could feel Naruto's hands eagerly moving through his hair, trying to subtly make the Uchiha go faster. However, Sasuke took his time in massaging every inch of his cock. He traced the main vein that lay underneath, the sides again, the slit of his head – which already tasted of precum –, and stopping his sucking to lick up and down each sides of the hard member.
"Please…" The blonde moaned, sincerely asking for more.

Sasuke obeyed well enough, taking the blonde's cock back into his mouth and sucked his hardest and fastest. His head quickly bobbed up and down the length of his member, making sure the blonde's head hit the back of his throat each time. The taste of precum only became stronger, as did the blonde's moans. It wasn't long before the Uchiha felt Naruto's cock slightly twitch before a load of his hot seed burst into Sasuke's mouth.

Sasuke removed his mouth from Naruto's cock to swallow the semen he'd received, using his right hand to help the blonde ride out his orgasm. The Uchiha's hand moved up and down the blonde's member hard and slow. The blonde's cum was now all over Sasuke's hand as well as his own member and stomach. Once Naruto had stopping cumming, Sasuke leaned down to clean off all the cum he could find with his tongue, cleaning off his hand first, the blonde's inner thigh, cock, and stomach.

One thing Sasuke noticed, but tried to make little note of, was that Naruto's member had odd marks all around it. He didn't have long to study the marks, or rather scarring indentions, but he couldn't have recognized the marks as anything other than teeth marks. The marks confused him, but now was not the time to worry about those things.

The Uchiha pulled himself up to meet the blonde's panting and open mouth. As their lips made contact, Naruto began speaking between kisses, "I… Don't get it…"

Sasuke stopped for a moment to pull his face a few inches away from the blonde's to look him in his blue eyes. Naruto looked around, not meeting Sasuke's gaze, but rather looking at each of Sasuke's arms which landed on each side of the wall behind Naruto. The moonlight struck Sasuke's arms, giving them the appearance of being much more pale and translucent than usual.

Sasuke waited for Naruto to continue, listening to the blonde's increasingly even breathing. After a few minutes, the brunette replied just as quietly, "Don't understand what, Naruto?"

Sasuke's right hand took its place off of the wall the brush Naruto's yellow hair from his sweat covered brow. This finally made Naruto make eye contact.

"I don't understand… Everything."

The Uchiha paused for a moment, reading true confusion in Naruto's moonlit eyes. Sasuke took a deep breath before bringing the blonde into a loving embrace, his hands gently massaging his bare, cold back. "Talk to me." Sasuke declared in a soothing voice.

Naruto laid his head on the pale boy's chest, loving the feel of his cheek against the warm flesh. He closed his eyes and words flooded out.

"I don't understand why, just two days ago, you hated my guts. You barely talked to me let alone looked at me…"

Ouch. That was a blow Sasuke wished he didn't make. The Uchiha didn't think Naruto took it so hard. Did he really?

"And how you acted like you were the most miserable person alive while you were by me…" The blonde paused.

"I… I guess you should know about the last day we were in suspension two years ago."

Naruto opened his eyes and looked up to Sasuke, waiting for him to continue.

"Well…" Sasuke began, "the day I saw you with Karin… It was also kind of the day that I fell for you."

Sasuke could feel the blonde's head twitch up in surprise. The Uchiha continued despite Naruto's apparent surprise, "When I saw you two were together, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't fall and get hurt again. Because that was the very first time I'd ever fallen for someone so much… Only to fall into pieces."

Sasuke looked out the nearby window, observing the large coliseum as the pain he once held showed prominently in his coal eyes.

"I remember thinking that I was a fool to even think about being with you. That you had other ideas about things like that. So, I felt embarrassed and stupid… That's why I made sure you didn't see me after we were told to pack up. I didn't want you to see me in such a broken up way…"

Sasuke closed his eyes, letting a tear slip out from his memories.

"I couldn't stop the tears that day. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I convinced myself that what I fell for was weak and inexcusable and I eventually fooled myself into thinking I never even felt that way for you. So, I suppressed it. I smothered the feelings under my own pride and dignity so something like that wouldn't happen again. That included transferring out of that class… If I saw you again, it might've destroyed what I'd already began to carefully construct."

The Uchiha paused as he felt drops of liquid running down his chest. He then realized as he looked down that Naruto was crying.

"Naruto…? Please-"

The blonde lay his hands gently on each cheek of Sasuke's, and pulled him closer to lock his lips with the other boy. The Uchiha slowly closed his eyes and leaned into the simple kiss. Their kiss lasted for a moment longer before Naruto pulled away, both of his hands still resting on the Uchiha's cheeks.

"Sasuke… Why didn't you tell me… Something, anything?"

The brunette turned his eyes away, not sure what exactly to say.

"I just… Couldn't bring myself to do it."

Naruto brought him into another simple kiss before softly replying, "I guess I understand… People make mistakes and I guess this was just one of them. But, I guess some doors are closed so new doors can open… New and better doors."

The blonde smiled through the tears still left on his face, suddenly making the Uchiha forget all his problems in the world.

"I love you, Naruto Uzumaki."

"I love you, Sasuke Uchiha."

Ring, ring.

What? Morning? Already?

Ring, ring.

Wait…

Sasuke groggily opened his eyes to see his cell phone vibrating on the glass nightstand beside him. He groaned, the groan full of lazy sleep, and grabbed his phone and opened it, not bothering to even see who was calling.

"Hello…?"

"Sasuke?"

The voice on the other end was definitely older than Sasuke's, but had the same tone to it. That of which only a big brother could have.

"What the fuck, Itachi? It's four in the morning…"

"Oh… Oops."

The uchiha sat up, rubbing his eyes of sleep as Itachi continued, "Forgot about the time difference…"

"What do you want?" Sasuke snapped.

He wanted to get down to the point. The older Uchiha paused a moment.

"Can't I just call to see how my little brother is doing in Rome? It's an awfully far wats away, and I tend to-"

"Cut the crap, Itachi. You only call when you need or want something. If you're not going to say anything useful, then I'm going back to bed."

"Well, then. I suppose you don't want to hear what I have to say about Naruto."

The brunette was about to hand up when his curiosity got the best of him.

"…What about Naruto?"

"Well, I heard he was going on that trip of yours also and I wanted to see if you could find him for me."

Involuntarily, Sasuke looked behind him to see Naruto heavily asleep, not a care in the world on his tan shoulders.

Itachi continued, "I don't have his number. So, I need you to bring him a message."

Sasuke couldn't speak for a moment. He was a little afraid of what he would say. Sasuke swallowed hard.

"What's the message?"

"Let Naruto know that he dropped his work shirt in my Hummer. Not that he'll really need it, he's fired afterall. But, I thought-"

"Wait, what's it doing in your car? What do you mean he's fired?"

Itachi chuckled lightly, "Why the sudden interest? Naruto told me that you two aren't really on good terms."

The Uchiha's fear was rising as he realized that Naruto and his brother have previously talked… A lot, it seemed.

"Well, that's besides that point. I didn't think that after what happened a couple years back you two never talked again."

Sasuke could feel his own jealousy leaking from his tone. Obviously Itachi picked up on it as he paused for a long moment before continuing.

"Yeah… It was that way for some time. But after he got fired a couple weeks back, I gave him a ride and we got… Better acquainted."

The older Uchiha's innuendo couldn't be more insulting or painful.

"What're you saying?"

Sasuke could feel his voice rise in anger.

"That we're better 'friends' than we ever were."

Sasuke let his hand holding the phone slowly depart from his ear. Intermittently, he could hear his older brother trying to get his attention. However, Sasuke's mind was completely far off elsewhere and now nearly unreachable.

Could I be overthinking things? What reason would Itachi have to lie about that? Naruto's… No…

Itachi's voice continued for only a moment more before the Uchiha slammed his phone shut. Without anything else on his mind, the brunette got up, put his clothes and jacket on, and stormed toward the suite door. He put his hand on its golden handle and paused. He looked back at the sleeping blonde once more with tears stinging his eyes before turning away and walking out with no certain destination, only away from the blonde and this life.

Sasukec: Yeah, I had meant for this chapter to be so much longer, but it somehow didn't manage that! I'm terribly sorry v.v

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We're around the climax of our story! Next chapter will hit the peak and, from there, the resolution and ending happen! Reviews always excite me! ^_^